Thursday, September 22, 2011

Basement Finishing – Do it on our Own or Hire a Contractor?

We all want to do basement finishing but the problem is that we do not have the budget and we have to hire a contractor but if we have the skills in wiring, plumbing, insulation, dry walling and painting then we can do it ourselves. The only disadvantage that we have to face in not hiring a contractor is that the finishing of the basement will take six months instead of one month.

If we decide on how to finish a basement, the first thing that we should do is to plan. We have to plan what we want our basement to become. We have to decide what design and what colors to put. The second thing that we should do is to measure. We have to measure the height of the ceiling, its distance from the floor to the bottom of the floor joists as well as floor to bottom of any ductwork or supports. We also have to check the number electrical outlets, switches, light fixtures, wire, plumbing fixtures, and the plumbing supplies that we will need. After we are done with the planning and measuring, we now have to implement. In implementing, we first need to clear out our basement. Take out everything that is in there. When we are done clearing your basement, we can now moisture proof walls and floors, Install subfloor, lay out the walls, Frame walls, rooms and ceiling, rough in electrical, plumbing, cable, and telecom, install insulation and vapor barrier, install drywall, sand and tape it, prime it, install flooring, install trim and baseboards, install light fixtures and paint the walls.